Top 5 Hitters to Watch from Sunshine Qualifier 16 Open

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we go through the results of this past weekend's qualifier it's astonishing to see the amount of Florida teams finishing at the top of gold bracket. Today I wanted to focus on highlighting the class of 2026 and four of the top players from top finishing teams. The best finish for the state of Florida went to GP 16 Rox with a 2nd place finish with an 8-2 record and an open bid to USAV Nationals. Other top finishes in this division go to Tribe and WPVC's top teams finishing tied for 5th in the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='529425' first='Catherine' last='Palmi']: 2026 OH (GP 16 Rox)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Catherine brings a different hitting dynamic than you will usually find nowadays. With Catherine, she will bring her entire body through the ball and drive the ball through the defender. She's one of the more impressive power hitters I have seen in a long time when you take her ability to still change up arm angles and speeds into account. No matter which pin she's hitting from she has the ability to drive the ball with power both down the line and into the cross. She's one of the only players on her team to play 6 rotations, which shows her mental strength and skills she has in other aspects of the position. When you watch her in the back row it seems like everything comes right to her and makes the dig look so easy to execute. It's the combination of skill and IQ that really puts Catherine ahead of others in her class. Catherine is an intriguing prospect that has a huge growth potential ahead of her. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='516220' first='Isabella' last='Umpierre']: 2026 Oppo (WPVC 16 Armour Black)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isabella is essentially a big impact hitter in the front row while being a defensive specialist in the back row. She doesn't flash on film as someone who takes over games with her offense or her defense, but she does all the small things coaches look for consistently. Whether it's transitioning off the net to hit or making sure she covers her teammates when she's not set, she's always doing her job to the best of her ability. Outside of her intangibles she's still a great lefty hitter who really takes advantage of poorly set blocks or back row defenders. Watching her film you can tell she has great control of the ball and the vision to be able to make sound decisions on offense. When you watch her defense, it's the same type of vision and understanding of the game that helps her be in good positions. Isabella is a great all-around player who has the potential to be a really good college prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='530406' first='Giavanna' last='Artiles']: 2026 OH (Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal) </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Giavanna is the most intriguing prospect out of the four I have highlighted today. She has the size and athleticism that every school would want out of their outside hitter. She's their teams go-to 6 rotation outside who gets moved around the court just to hopefully create openings for her. She has the rare combo of having power behind her swing while still being able to hit with speed. Most prospects I'll watch especially at this level don't have the toolbox of arm angles and speeds that Giavanna does. While watching her film from this past weekend she used every tool in the toolbox including tools, roll shots, power swings, and fast swings. It was impressive to watch her offensive game, yet she has the discipline and understanding of how important her back row defense is to her team. Giavanna is one of the top tier prospects I have been able to watch thus far. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Izabella Pons: 2026 MB (Tribe 16 Elite Navy)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Izabella is the type of hitter that coaches love to mold into their own. She has all of the athleticism and length you need from the position. Although slightly undersized for the position, she uses all of the height and length she does have to swing high off hands. It's unusual to see a middle like Izabella who's able to look at the block and still be able to reach over the top on a quick set. One of the first plays watching her on film was of her getting a massive stuff block on the opposing outside. The very next play you see her get a kill from a tip over the block. It just shows you the versatility in skills that Izabella brings to her team. Yet my favorite part of her game has to be her hustle and footwork when closing a pin block and her working to get off the net and be an option for her team on offense. She has all of the potential in the world to grow her offensive and blocking skillset to the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2026 looks to be very bright and definitely deep with talent across all positions. Taking a look at some of the top finishes this past weekend you can see the overwhelming amount of talent that Florida has been able to produce year after year. This recruiting class looks to be no different, and I can't wait to see some of these names be introduced into the next rankings update. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->